Hello Fellow ENthusiasts,
I have the X2 20, Airblast 11.8/8.4, and Mach 1 9.1. I have now sailed the X2 6 times and have yet to feel real pleased. I have been out in 10-12 kts, with gusts to 15. Never seemed to have the power to get upwind well. I am a pretty decent sailor, and can smoke on the Airblasts. I definately get more out of My 11.8 in these wind conditions. Has anyone else noticed this, or am I sailing this thing wrong? I am on a 157 Slingshot Drake, 185 pounds. A buddy suggested that the board is a little slow, and this might be my problem. I have seen very few comments on the 20. Anybody out there going crazy with it? I plan to dig out my Hana Crew Double Vision 6.0/5.6 to see if this makes a difference. Oh yea, my jumps on the Airblasts are huge. MY jumps on the x2 are hugely lame. I'm sure there must be some different technique. I don't seem to have it. Help.

I havenÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t flown the X2, but may have some experiences that apply.

On my 22 Rhino it took me some time to figure what would make it jump high. For me the trick was a lot of speed.

The two boards you use are real crappy for light wind kiting. I have owned a Hana and ridden the Slingshot. The Slingshot has a slow to plane rocker. The Hana has way too many fins and is slow to plane.

I found that for my 22 m kite to really perform to itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s potential, I needed a good light wind board. An all around board just doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t do these kites justice in winds below 12 mph.

I use my X2 20 from 8 to 16 knots, and previously had a 19.5ARX. With the X2 I do spins in 9 knots and jump from 10 knots, using a board similar to a Underground Smorgasboard (147 X 42.5). The X2 20 is an amazing kite and jumps very high.

This kite doesn't like to be flown up and down to steeply!!! It prefers to be kept parked in the window, flying slightly up or down. Although it is possible to do 180 degree turns with the kite (flying from top to bottom), in light winds it stalls the kite.

In light wind I dive the kite hard, and then bring it across the window, I don't fly it up and down continuosly.

I also have the X 20 and am very pleased. I weigh 90kg and sail on a 147 x 41.5 wakestyle.
The other weekend, I was out in the Swiss Alps, on 1600 above sea level, with a force 4 and it rocked.
My impression: For me, it works best if I leave it trimmed so it just doesnt oversheet when sheeted out completely, but has plenty of power. Like this, I get a very steady pull which I control via the the rail. Only sometimes in strong gusts did I pull in the adjuster a little. But I found the other setting most powerful for jumping and it went upwind pretty well, too.
It seems every kite has to be trimmed a little different.
Good luck!
Nico

Guys,
THanks for the input. I have not tried to pop off the fins on the Slingshot. I also may mess around with trying some different boards. I'm glad to hear that others are enjoying this kite. I had heard such excellent hype and had wild visions of huge leaps in 10 to 12 knots. Well, maybe modest leaps and blazing speed?

speed is everything in light wind, and if everyone is being honest, a directional board is much faster than anything else, and goes upwind better, you get much better launch pressure for big jumps, you load the lines much better while keeping up you speed for jumps. When you are talking 20m kites, no matter how high performance they are, a directional, not matter how small will be better.

On 2002-08-20 02:40, aklbob wrote:
speed is everything in light wind, and if everyone is being honest, a directional board is much faster than anything else, and goes upwind better, you get much better launch pressure for big jumps, you load the lines much better while keeping up you speed for jumps. When you are talking 20m kites, no matter how high performance they are, a directional, not matter how small will be better.

Probably you are right, but I am very happy on my flat-rockered wakestyle board

Nicos X2 20 even worked well on low winds with my LF Rhythm 134cm which has 4.6cm Rocker (!!)and should be anything else than a lightwindboard. I think it's most important to be used to your board very well and to know how to keep it going